Tim Walz should probably buy a mouthguard.
The former high school football coach ticked off MAGA fans by claiming he could “kick the a--es” of most Trump voters, and on Thursday he was asked to prove it when a WWE icon challenged him to a wrestling match.
WWE Hall of Famer Kane now goes by Glenn Jacobs and he’s the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. He is aiming to defend MAGA’s honor.
“All joking aside, @GovTimWalz, let’s put our money where our mouth is... in a charity wrestling match,” Jacobs posted on X.
The Minnesota governor and former Democratic vice presidential nominee made his claim earlier this week during a conversation with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
While Newsom has received praise from some Republicans for taking a moderate approach on his new podcast, Walz stays loyal to the left. At one point in his conversation with Newsom, Walz asked how Democrats should “fight” the MAGA movement and added that he wanted to put “some of those guys back under a rock.”
It’s what led the former WWE fighter to post: “#LetsDance.”
“We’ll split the gate 50/50 between our chosen organizations,” Jacobs wrote. “I’ll kick things off myself with a $10,000 donation. What do you say?”
Jacobs’ X bio reads, “I used to beat up people for a living. Now I protect their freedom.” His cover photo is a picture of him shooting a rifle as red, white, and blue smoke explodes in the background.
The wrestler-turned-mayor also reposted an AI photo of Walz in a rainbow unitard, apparently mocking Walz’s support for transgender people and the LGBTQ+ community.
Walz has received a slew of hate from right-wingers who disagree with his stances on gender-affirming care. He previously signed executive order to reaffirm the right to the procedure and added that “in this state, hate has no home,” and “in this state, love and acceptance is what we preach.”
Walz’s viral challenge came as he and Newsom discussed ways to lure voters back to the Democratic Party as its faces historically low polling numbers. While some argue that candidates should take an aggressive approach to President Donald Trump’s party, others believe that finding common ground is the key.
Newsom is considering a 2028 presidential run and has gotten backlash from those who see his podcast as a calculated attempt to remake his public image and appeal to all voters. He’s especially garnered skepticism for inviting as guests conservative figures like Michael Savage, Charlie Kirk, and Steve Bannon, leaving some to believe he wants to be the next Joe Rogan. The Wall Street Journal reported that Newsom connected with the latter two after chatting with his ex-wife and Trump-allied U.S. ambassador-in-waiting, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Newsom angered many of his Democratic constituents with his assertion on the podcast that it’s “deeply unfair” for transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. Walz’s state, on the other hand, recently defied Trump’s executive order banning transgender women from women’s sports.
